The National Fire Protection Association has urged the government to enhance the quality of electrical products to meet the global standards for making India as a global power house in manufacturing.

About 70 per cent of industrial accidents and large-scale fires are caused by faulty or broken electrical equipment, but people tend ignore the fact. Though India has its own Bureau of India Standards doing its best in stipulated capacity, it does not set the agenda for end user safety, it said.

In the case of ordinary wires used almost in every household, BIS still mandates only PVC insulated wires which can withstand only 70 degrees celsius of temperature, said the Association.

In a tropical country like India where the ambient temperature touches 50 degrees in some States, this gives a small window of safety during a fire accident. In addition, this PVC insulation also releases toxic smoke which reduces visibility to zero and impairs the health of the person inhaling this smoke, it said.

India need not reinvent the wheel but can adopt the current standards prevalent in Europe and in the US and ensure strict compliance, said the association.

According to a study, carried out by the Association, over 50 people die every day in India due to electrical related fires. “In addition to reducing imports, quality electrical products ensure higher efficiency, leading to lower costs which will ensure our export competitiveness and better revenues,” said an official from the Association.

Ajit Kulkarni, Managing Director, Ajit Kulkarni Consultants, said that almost all the fires, if not man made, are mainly caused by electrical faults, the lack of inspection and the inability to comply with safety norms.

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